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Make it easier. Make it better. Get it faster. In an age where speed and convenience reign, we’re all becoming like the fictional Veruca Salt, able to get almost anything we want - just by asking.

With the rapid rise of voice assistants such as Alexa and Siri, comScore predicts that by 2020, 50% of all searches will be voice searches. It only makes sense. While the average person can type 40 words per minute, they can speak up to 150. In 8 Enterprise Analytics Trends to Watch in 2018, that’s why Ventana Research SVP and Research Director David Menninger says this will be the year voice and natural language interfaces become mainstream.

“For decades, the man-machine interface has been based on keyboard and mouse interactions,” says Menninger. “We’ve learned to use these devices, but neither is natural to us, and as a result, it restricts the audience for various technology initiatives including analytics and business intelligence.

“As our devices of all types allow users to leverage language, we will see adoption of related types of technology among a broader audience. This is particularly relevant for analytics initiatives which have traditionally struggled to reach widespread and regular usage throughout an organization,” notes Menninger.

In a VentureBeat article, MicroStrategy CTO Tim Lang agrees that voice’s time has come. “If you lead a global sales team and need to pull profitability numbers before your next meeting, your answer could be a few words away: ‘Hey Alexa, what’s our profitability in North America today?’ Alexa could respond, ‘Profitability in North America is up three percent from yesterday, on pace for monthly goals.’ Today, we can accomplish in a matter of seconds tasks that once required cross-referencing documents and meetings with managers.

“The effort to improve efficiency in a modern organization can’t be restricted to dashboards, laptops, or even smartphones for that matter,” notes Lang. “It’s about time more companies rethink how to best support today’s leaders.”

Ready or not, the future is here. For enterprise organizations, it must be a data-driven one – and voice may be the great enabler.

Ready to read more about voice and NLG from Ventana Research’s David Menninger and see the trends Forrester VP and Principal Analyst Boris Evelson, Constellation Research Founder and Principal Analyst Ray Wang, and Impact Analytix Founder Jen Underwood say should have your attention?Download the eBook: 8 Enterprise Analytics Trends to Watch in 2018.

Krassi oversees the competitive and market intelligence program at MicroStrategy. He brings 20 years of marketing experience with an extensive background in product marketing, competitive intelligence and sales enablement. A proud graduate of American University, Washington DC and University of Maryland - College Park, Krassi most recently served on the AU Alumni Board as the Chair of the Strategic Engagement Committee. Originally from Bulgaria, Krassi made the Washington DC area his home over 20 years ago. His passion is photography and analog audio.